Affordable Design & Daily Musings

Tufted couches and headboards are somewhat of an obsession of mine, especially when finished in rich colors and velvet fabrics. The soft feeling of the material paired with dense cushions is a guaranteed recipe for inviting furniture, and better yet, there are tons of diy tutorials for creating a tufted piece of your own!

Like this:

Traditionally, the only accessory a staircase flaunts is a long carpet runner. Not anymore! With a bright stripe of paint, stencils, wallpaper or metallic trimmings, a standard staircase can be transformed into a bold style moment.

Since moving to new york this past fall, we’ve had a constant stream of house guests seeking a taste of the city. The ceaseless entertaining could stress out some, but I truly love having an excuse to act like a tourist (sans shame).

This weekend I’m looking forward to museum-hopping, trekking across town for a shake shack burger or ruben from katz’s, strolling around central park, and taking on the night with some of my greatest friends. Here are a few spots I may visit during my manhattan stay-cation…

There’s no denying that neon is back with a vengeance, both in fashion and home decorating. Although I’d never recommend investing too much into trends, you don’t need to break the bank to get on the neon décor train—a coat of paint or small throw pillow can easily make a huge impact. My favorite application of neon is paired with deep gray backdrops, since the duo is subdued and vibrant all at once (yet seems much more modern than the tacky neon of the 80’s).

Like this:

Last week, a friend of mine had an extra ticket to a Martha Stewart show taping and asked if I’d be interested in coming along. Umm hell to the yes?! was my reaction. I can’t say that I’ve ever really been a fan of Martha (although I do love her wrapping paper line), but figured it’d be a fun way to spend the morning. Plus I wanted to see what all the Martha fuss was about!

Coffee tables are a furniture staple that I’ve always bought exclusively from thrift stores. As long as the lines of the piece are attractive, you can easily refurbish a table for a fraction of the price you’d find in retail stores. For instance, I snagged this table for under $20 at Goodwill, and with some sandpaper and a few coats of paint, transformed it into a fresh white centerpiece for our living room.